Keynote Tips: How To Create A Custom Banner With Keynote

Posted on 29. Jun, 2011 by in HowTo



With the many different way to create images online, one of most powerful tools (for mac users) is a rather large program found inside of iWork. This powerful “new-age powerpoint” presentation software called Keynote, has the power and flexibility to provide more than just a slide show. You can actually create your own custom images to use on your blog, or anywhere else on the web.

In this short blog posting, you’ll discover how to create a simple banner with shadows, cuts and edits that took years to learn and perfect.

Here is the breakdown of the couple little tools mentioned in the video.

Alpha - You can use alpha to cut away specific colors on almost any image. I use alpha in the video above to cut away extra “white space” found on the water picture. Then I used it again on the background of the images with the founders in it.

Mask – Mask is a little tool that took (this keynote user) years to learn. This tool (even when simple to use) requires the user to understand specific cropping and image selection. You can use this tool to identify specifics within images to give your “new image” a custom feel and look.

You can find the Keynote software in iWork for mac. This tool will save you a great deal of time and possibly even money as you can do pretty much the same thing as other more expensive programs. Plus, you can also use keynote for flashy slideshow presentations.

A side benefit to using Keynote, is that you can actually capture your entire presentation with a tool called ScreenFlow in real time. This allows you to create custom educational videos (like the tutorial above) and or promotional videos like the one below.

Keynote proves to be one of the most important tools for mac internet entrepreneurs today. With so much flexibility and freedom that the iWork and Keynote platform provides, even absolute amateurs can now compete with their own custom images and creativity.

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12 Responses to “Keynote Tips: How To Create A Custom Banner With Keynote”

  1. Sean Smith

    03. Sep, 2011

    Gotta get a Mac. Enough said…

    Great How-To Video’s. Very easy to follow and well spoken.
    Sean Smith recently posted..The Top Secret Guide to Posting Ads on CraigslistMy Profile

    Reply to this comment

  2. James Bennett | my lead system pro

    06. Jul, 2011

    Derek,

    Now I want to buy a Mac… Been putting it off… LOL.
    Until then, any suggestions on a PC based tool that’s similar?

    BTW, You have an outstanding blog.

    Best,
    James

    Reply to this comment

  3. Steve Nicholas

    06. Jul, 2011

    Great post, Dereck! I’m an Apple user as well. I’m still trying to figure out the hang of some of the fancier things that the new system offers (the last one I had didn’t bunch things together like iWork does, so I only had AppleWorks with the Spreadsheet option). I can’t wait to play around with it and find out what works for the things I am looking for!

    Reply to this comment

  4. Kevin Martineau

    05. Jul, 2011

    Hi Dereck:

    I have done this with PowerPoint before but this tool definitely has way more options!

    Kevin

    Reply to this comment

  5. Julieanne van Zyl

    04. Jul, 2011

    Hi Derreck,

    I really must get an Apple Mac! From what you’ve demonstrated, Keynote is better than PowerPoint, it looks rather like Photoshop or maybe easier to use.

    I love the banners on your blog posts, they are very attractive.
    Your tutorials are very educational, thanks!

    Regards from Julieanne

    Reply to this comment

  6. Sigal Zoldan @Want More Balance? Here Is My Winning Formula

    03. Jul, 2011

    Very impressive Dereck. First of all I’d like to say that I appreciate you taking the time to create these videos. I do not work on a Mac, so what you are showing here is only for Mac, correct.

    My husband has a Mac though…
    Looking forward to learn more from you :-)

    Much love, light and joy,
    Sigal Zoldan
    Clinical Hypnotherapist & Master Results Coach

    Reply to this comment

  7. Lynn Jones

    03. Jul, 2011

    Derreck,
    Wheeet Whew, I am impressed! That is great stuff! I have a mac and I believe I will check out that program. You seem like a real expert going through that so quickly and it looked very cool. Thanks for the valuable advice!
    Cheers,
    Lynn

    Reply to this comment

  8. VaNessa Duplessie

    03. Jul, 2011

    As a mac user always looking for new tips on how to make my life easier this post is quite helpful. I’ve only had my mac about a year and I love it.

    The more I come across other mac users the more I find that there are many creative tools within our platform that I get the joy of learning.

    Thanks so much for helping make my life a little easier.

    VaNessa

    Reply to this comment

  9. Dr. Erica Goodstone

    02. Jul, 2011

    Unfortunately, I have a PC and that program is not available. I had actually started out, years ago, on a Mac – seems to have many more usable features and doesn’t get viruses. And, if it crashes you can reload all the programs, not just the files, if you have them saved.
    Thanks for showing what is possible for creating banners.

    Reply to this comment

  10. Joyce Penner

    01. Jul, 2011

    That’s it. I’m going to give in to all the massive pressure and get a Mac. You cinched the deal here with this presentation, Dereck.

    Reply to this comment

  11. Steve Dooley

    30. Jun, 2011

    Hey man,

    That stuff is super cool, however I use a PC. Do you know of any alternative software that would do something similar. I know that it probably won’t look as good as the Mac version though. Someday I’ll probably switch over…lol

    I guess I could just take a screenshot of a powerpoint for a banner?

    Thanks.

    Reply to this comment

  12. Stevie Smith

    30. Jun, 2011

    He Derreck,

    This looks a really cool tool… for mac users! To my embarrassment, I don’t own one as I do all of my computing with a linux box.

    Still I liked the ease of use that you have highlighted exists in the iWork for mac.

    Keep the Smiles,

    Stevie

    Reply to this comment

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